(Metallo)porphyrins as Potent Phototoxic Anti‐Cancer Agents after Irradiation with Red Light

Novel photoactive (metallo)porphyrins were synthesised and characterised. When irradiated with light at a wavelength greater than 600 nm, these porphyrins act as photosensitisers and show high cytotoxicity towards two different human cancer cell lines with IC₅₀ values down to 0.4 μM . A paramagnetic copper(II) porphyrin is the first photosensitiser to display excellent phototoxicity, explained by the electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spin trapping of hydroxy radicals and experimentally confirmed by the discovery of elevated levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) inside A2780 cells after irradiation with red light. This finding indicates that paramagnetic compounds should be considered for photodynamic therapy (PDT). Furthermore, an additive effect of cisplatin and a zinc porphyrin, both at subtherapeutic concentrations of 0.22 μm, was observed.     

A Chemo‐Enzymatic Cascade for the Smart Detection of Nitro‐ and Halogenated Phenols

The flavin‐dependent monooxygenase, HadA, catalyzes the dehalogenation and denitration of the toxicants, nitro‐ and halogenated phenols, to benzoquinone. The HadA reaction can be applied in one‐pot reactions towards the de novo synthesis of d ‐luciferin by coupling with d ‐Cys condensation. d ‐luciferin, a valuable chemical widely used in biomedical applications, can be used as a substrate for the reaction of firefly luciferase to generate bioluminescence. As nitro‐ and halogenated phenols are key indicators of human overexposure to pesticides and pesticide contamination, the technology provides a sensitive and convenient tool for improved biomedical and environmental detection at ppb sensitivity in biological samples without the requirement for any pre‐treatment. This dual‐pronged method combines the advantages of waste biodetoxification to produce a valuable chemical as well as a smart detection tool for environmental and biomedical detection.